Embedding Quotations in a Sentence

Embed- to implant within something else so it becomes an ingrained or essential characteristic of it Quotations MUST always be embedded. A quotation cannot stand on its own in an essay.

1. Give background material and context for all quoted material: What is happening, who is speaking, when, why, etc. Keep it brief but specific If you are having trouble setting up your embedding, try putting the line before it into your own words as a means of setting context

2. Only use the most important part of the quotation. For a short paper, your quotation should ideally be between ten and twenty words Remember, you want your quotation to show significance to the point that you are making. Avoid quotations that are summaries of plot 3. Read your sentence aloud to see if you can “hear” the quotation marks. You want your sentence to smoothly transition into the quotation

4. Read the sentences surrounding your quoted sentence and determine if your points are repetitive. You want the quotation to speak for itself 5. Omit any unnecessary words and phrases; use ellipses (...) to indicate your changes Change words in the original quote: pronouns and tense to agree with your embedding Indicate the change by placing brackets ([ ]) around the part of the word, the entire changed word, or to add words

Original Henry tells Keiko, “‘We’re more than friends. We’re the same people. But he doesn’t see it – he only sees you as the daughter of the enemy’” (Ford 193). New Henry feels “[he and Keiko are] more than friends. [They’re] the same people. But [his father] doesn’t see it – he only sees [Keiko] as the daughter of the enemy” (Ford 193).

“He was still young but had won fame as the greatest wrestler in the nine villages... To crown it all he had taken two titles and had shown incredible prowess in two inter-tribal wars” (Achebe 8). Quote fully embedded with brackets and ellipses Okonkwo strives to be everything his lazy father, Unoka, is not and earns respect for many strengths including “...fame as the greatest wrestler in the nine villages... [and his] two titles” (Achebe 8).

Write in the literary present tense Literature is always present and “alive” so writers must write about the characters and plot in present tense TIP – write your paragraph without thinking about it then go back and proofread for past tense and change verbs to present tense

While discussing the situation with Miss Caroline, Atticus tries to explain to Scout that “you never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view—until you climb into his skin and walk around in it” (Lee 30).